Railway mail-catcher



' (No Model.)

' 0. D. ROGERS.

RAILWAY MAIL OATOHER. No. 545 251. Patented Aug. 27,1895.

WI TJVESSES INVENTOR %W@Mm R Attorney UNITED STATES ORVILLE D. ROGERS,

PATENT Fries.

OF SHOALS, INDIANA.

RAILWAY MAI L.-CATCH ER.

SPEGLFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 545,251, dated August 27, 1895.

Application filed June 10, 1895. erial No. 552,285. (No model.)

To 6426 whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ORVILLE D. ROGERS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Shoals, in the county of Martin and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway MailO-atchers; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 of the drawings is arepresentation of a plan view of the catcher, and Fig. 2 is a side elevation of same.

This invention relates more particularly to certain new and useful improvements in railway mail-catching devices of the general character described and claimed in my application for patent, Serial No. 540,212, allowed March 30, 1895. Y

An object of the invention is to provide improved means whereby the catcher-arm may be more readily changed from right to left relation, or the reverse.

A second object is to provide an improved construction of the spring which, together with the inner portion of the catcher-arm, forms the throat which receives and holds the gathered portion of the bag.

lVith these objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, all as hereinafter described, and pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, the letter A designates a suitable frame which is designed to be carried by a mail-car of a train. J ournaled in this frame is a transverse bar or shaft 1, in the central portion of which is loosely journaled a handle-bar or lever 2.

3 3 designate rubber springs which are carried one on each end portion of the bar or shaft 1, between a collar or shoulder 4 thereof and the box 5 in which the bar or shaft is loosely journaled. These springs serve as buffers to take up the force of the impact which arises when a bag is caught.

The catcher proper consists of a frame having a sleeve or socket 6, which is secured by a screw 6 upon an extension 7 of the journal portion of the bar or lever 2, which is projected through the bar or shaft 1. Extending from this sleeve or socket 6 is a horizontal lateral arm 8, which is usually nearly-as long as the distance from the lever 2 to one of the rubber springs. Extending from the outer portion of the said sleeve or socket is an arm 9, which for a distance is substantially parallel with the arm 8 and is then bent intoa U- shaped loop 10, from the outer extremity of which projects the elongated oblique catcherarm 11. The arm 8 is usually bent at its extremity to form an arm 12, which is welded or otherwise secured to the bow portion of the loop 10.

13 is the spring, which is of Vshape at one end portion, with an approximately semicircular extension 14, which is forked or bifurcated,as at 15. One arm of the V portion of the spring is rigidly secured to an extension 16 of the arm 8. The relation of this spring to the catchenarm is such that the angle or heel 17, at the point where the extension 14 commences, is in close juxtaposition with the angle 18 formed by the j unction of the said arm with the loop portion 10, the outer arm of the latter extending loosely through the fork or slot of the said extension 14. Near its outer end the arm 8 is formed with a threaded perforation 18, which is adapted to register when in one position with a screw-seat 19 in one end portion of the box or shaft 1, and when in the other position with a similar seat in the opposite end portion, said seats being at equal distanc'es from the center of the bar.

To reverse the direction of the catcher-arm, one of the screws 20 is disengaged from the arm 8 and the entire catcher-frame with the spring is swung through an arc of one hundred and eighty degrees, and the said arm 8 is then secured by the other screw. The handle-bar or lever will also rotate. it is obvious, however, that the sleeve or socket 6, instead of being secured to the extension of said handie-bar, may be fitted to turn loosely thereon or upon any bearing secured to or integral with the bar 1.

Nhen a catch is to be made, the handle or lever is operated to rock the bar or shaft 1 and elevate the catcher-frame into horizontal position. The catcher-arm engages the gathered portion of the bag (which is suspended by a suitable crane) and is drawn in through the throat formed by the spring and arm and is held by the tension of the spring within the U loop of the frame.

It will be observed that the arms of the fork and extension of the spring by coming arm, and the spring having a forked and bent extension through which the said arm passes, substantially as specified.

2. In a railway mail catching device, the catcher frame having the arm 8, U-loop 10, and oblique arm 11, and the spring secured to said frame and having a forked or slotted extension which embraces said loop, and a heel, as 17, which is in juxtaposition to the inner portion of the arm 11, substantially as specifled.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ORVILLE D. ROGERS. Witnesses:

JAMES MAHoNY, LEONARD B. TRUEBLOOD. 

